Contributions from diverse sources of knowledge have offered multiple reflections on the power of education for students’ Social Inclusion, regardless of their social and economic contexts. This places governments, universities, schools and others in charge in a crucial position, in order to increase children’s future opportunities. The consensus on the effect that teachers and their teaching’s quality have is ever-growing. In this regard, there is a wealth of research on effective teacher training, which promotes students’ and their educational communities’ educational and social improvement. These are the promotion of teacher training based on scientific evidence and the monitoring of its effectiveness according to social impact (Darling-Hammond, 2017; Harris & Sass, 2011; Boyd, et al., 2009). In fact, it is now clear that teachers’ training has a greater impact on school outcomes than other factors like organization, school headship, family income or student-teacher ratio. This turns the teaching staff into a powerful tool for assuring the social inclusion of all students into our constantly changing societies.

In this sense the international debate has turn to what is called ‘evidence-based teacher education’, that means putting international scientific evidences at the services of educational improvement. Several studies suggest that when teachers have access to scientific knowledge and base their decision-making process on scientific evidence, school results improve (Dunn, et al., 2013; Alton-Lee, 2011; Sahlberg, 2011; Toom, et al., 2010).

Besides that, there are other voices that point to the need of developing new approaches for teacher training and development that are increasingly more democratic, and that distribute more fairly the responsibility among schools, universities and communities (Zhu & Zeichner, 2013).

This Symposium provides a transversal and international analysis through a documentary, scientific review and social contributions in this regard, in the European framework, in Spain, Brazil and Mexico. It analyses the impacts of Scientific Evidence-based teacher professional development to improve present and future societies through education.

Paper 1, “Successful Educational Actions versus Edumyths”, shows a European analysis of the contributions about Scientific Evidence-based teacher professional development and open to the diversity of educational actors involved in the education of children, which contributes to social improvement and overcoming inequalities. This approach of the debate on teacher development also makes it possible to identify what is called “Edumyths”, those teaching practices that are incorporated into schools and which persist even though they do not contribute to social improvement.

Next, Paper 2, “Scientific evidence subsidies for teacher actions to prevent Gender-based Violence in Brazil”, analyses Scientific Evidence-based teacher professional development to promote school actions to prevent gender violence in the Brazilian context. Numerous studies on teacher development and leadership in educational establishments to prevent and overcome violence indicate the increasingly need based on scientific evidence to achieve improvements also in overcoming violence.

Finally, Paper 3, “Evidence-based Teachers training in Mexico: the impact on Mexican Teacher of the transfer of Successful Educational Actions”, analyses in depth the first case of success in the collective transferability of scientifically based actions in Mexican schools, where teacher development has been an essential element combining rigor, sustainability and illusion.

Denying the incorporation of scientific evidence into education policies and competent administration’s response of teacher professional development results in serious consequences. Not only because of the failure of schools in countries such as Spain, Brazil and Mexico, but also because of the future academic and professional damage being caused to a high proportion of children and young people, especially the most vulnerable. It is an obstacle to such important issues as the prevention and eradication of violence from an early age. one of the fundamental keys to achieving the dream of lasting peace

Alton-Lee, A. (2011). (Using) evidence for educational improvement. Cambridge Journal of Education, 41, 303-329. doi:10.1080/0305764X.2011.607150 Boyd, D. J., Grossman, P. L., Lankford, H., Loeb, S., & Wyckoff, J. (2009). Teacher preparation and student achievement. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 31(4), 416-440. Darling-Hammond, L. (2017). Teacher education around the world: What can we learn from international practice? European Journal of Teacher Education, 40(3), 291–309. Dunn, D. S., Saville, B. K., Baker, S. C., & Marek, P. (2013). Evidence-based teaching: Tools and techniques that promote learning in the psychology classroom. Australian Journal of Psychology, 65(1), 5-13. Goldman, J.D.G. (2007). “primary school students-teacher’s knowledge and understandings of child sexual abuse and its mandatory reporting”. International Journal of Educational Research, 46(6), 534-540. Harris, D. N., & Sass, T. R. (2011). Teacher training, teacher quality and student achievement. Journal of public economics, 95(7-8), 798-812. doi: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2010.11.009 Sahlberg, P. (2011). Developing effective teachers and school leaders: The case of Finland. Effectiveness, 13. Toom, A., Kynäslahti, H., Krokfors, L., Jyrhämä, R., Byman, R., Stenberg, K., Maaranen, K., & Kansanen, P. (2010). Experiences of a Research‐based Approach to Teacher Education: suggestions for future policies. European Journal of Education, 45(2), 331-344. doi: 10.1111/j.1465-3435.2010.01432.x Zhu, X. & Zeichener, K. (2013). Preparing teachers for the 21st Century. Berlín: Springer-Verlag.